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Talk:Physical Damage/@comment-188.103.77.242-20130526064101
I want to post from the Melee Combat Example of the original manual (pages 93 - 95). It was the only source in the original manual, where the effect of shields, swords and to-Hit was explained. Strangely they assumed that the Basilisk has no to-Hit modifier. Melee Combat Example During your combat turn, your basilisk unit finds itself starting next to an enemy unit of elven lords with a regular experience level (i.e., they have an extra sword and cross icon to supplement their starting abilities). Note that fantastic (i.e., summoned) units never gain experience. Both the basilisk and the elven lords are completely undamaged; they have no enchantments on them and the battlefield is unenchanted. You are determined to have your basilisk attack those elven lords for all they’re worth. After placing the cursor over the elven lords (whom you refer to in a derogatory manner as “Elvis” lords) so that the crossed-swords icon of melee combat appears, you click on them to start melee combat. Gaze attacks are resolved before regular melee attacks. Since the basilisk has the Stoning Gaze ability, this attack is resolved before the hand-to-hand fighting of the melee attack. Each of the four figures in the elven lords unit must make a saving throw against your Stoning Gaze attack or be turned to stone (eliminated). Elven lords have a fantastic innate resistance ability of 9 (i.e., they are born with nine crosses in their statistics). The basilisk’s Stoning Gaze has a minus one save modifier, lowering the elven lords’ resistance to eight. Since the elven lords are at regular experience level, though, they gain an extra cross, bringing their total back up to nine. Each cross increases the chance to resist spells and special magic attacks (such as the basilisk’s Stoning Gaze) by 10%. With nine crosses, each of the four elven lord figures has a 90% chance to resist the gaze attack. Unfortunately for the elves, one of them fails. Its figure is removed from the unit, and the unit’s damage bar turns green and fills to three quarters of its length (to reflect the loss of that figure from the group). Now both units simultaneously swing at each other in melee combat—meaning that the results of both their efforts against each other are applied concurrently (thus, any figure destroyed in this simultaneous exchange still inflicts whatever damage it can upon the enemy before being removed from play). Let’s calculate the basilisk’s attack against the remaining three elven lords first. The basilisk has a melee attack strength of 15 (i.e., it has 15 sword icons on its statistics). Thus, the computer makes 15 die rolls for it, each with a base 30% chance to hit. With a little luck, the basilisk scores 5 hits from among those die rolls. The elven lords, in response, have a defense strength of four each (each figure has four shield icons among its statistics). So, the first elven lord figure steps up to defend against the basilisk’s 5 incoming hits. The computer rolls four dice (one for each shield), each with a base 30% to negate a single hit. Unfortunately, it completely misses and all five hits are scored against that elven figure. Since each elven lord figure only has three hits (i.e., three heart symbols on its statistics), it is killed and the two remaining hits are applied against the next elven lord figure. That figure gets to use its full complement of shield icons, making four rolls against the same 30% chance to stop a hit. With better luck than the last figure, it manages to block one hit, and so suffers the other. Thus, after this melee exchange, two elven lord figures remain standing in this unit, the foremost of which has taken a single hit (one of his three heart symbols is darkened). Before applying these devastating results to the elven lords, however, the computer lets them swing back at the basilisk. Each elven lord has an attack strength (number of sword icons) of six (five for their starting value, +1 for their troop status of “regulars”). Thus, the three figures in the elven lords unit throw a total of 18 attack rolls to score hits on the basilisk. Like all units, elven lords have a base chance to hit with each attack roll of 30%, but elven lords have a special ability, giving them a +2 bonus to hit. This increases their chance to hit by 20% (+10% per bonus point), giving each of their 18 attack rolls a modified chance to hit of 50%. The results for the elven lords are lucky, and they land 13 hits on the basilisk. For its part, the basilisk has a defense strength (shields) of four. However, since the elven lords also have the special ability of armor piercing, creatures trying to block their hits can only use half of their shields (rounded down). Thus, the basilisk makes its measly two defense rolls, each with that base 30% chance to stop a single hit. Luckless, the basilisk suffers all 13 blows, reducing its full strength of 30 hits (hearts) down to 17. Now, the losses to both units are applied. The elven lords’ damage bar is glowing yellow and slightly less than half full (having lost half its figures and with a hit against one of the remaining ones), while the basilisk’s damage bar gleams yellow but noticeably more than half full (having 13 damage hits against its 30 total hits). With half your unit’s moves remaining (melee and missile attacks only use one-half of a unit’s moves), you again place the crossed-swords cursor over the elven lords, figuring that your wounded basilisk can finish off the two figures that remain standing defiantly against you. Failing your gaze attack against each of the elven lords again—that pesky high 90% resistance roll —melee combat quickly ensues. Unaffected by injuries to surviving figures (i.e., by any darkened heart symbols on their statistics), both units attack with full vigor. The basilisk throws the same 15 attacks rolls (sword icons), each with the same 30% chance to hit, but scores only three hits this time. The first elven lord (the one with only two of its three hits remaining) rolls its four defense rolls (shield icons), each with a 30% chance to negate one hit, and misses completely. So, two of your three hits are applied to destroy that figure, while the remaining one meets the last elven lord figure’s four defense rolls. He manages to block the last hit. The last elven lord figure is undamaged, but his unit’s strength bar wanes red, showing only 25% of its full strength hit points remain. Before suffering those losses, though, the elven lords swing back at the basilisk. They each roll their six attacks, for a total of 12 throws, each with the same 50% chance to hit as before. Luck is still with those swinging elves, for they land another eight hits against your wounded basilisk. With its two defense rolls, the basilisk manages to block a single hit, so another seven hits are applied against it, and seven more of its hearts are darkened. With a total 20 damage, the basilisk now has only 10 hits left, so its strength bar is colored red and filled to one-third of its length. The red nubbin graphically symbolizes the amount of damage your basilisk can still take before dying. Note that although the elven lords have First Strike ability, it can only be used when elven lords are conducting their own attack against another unit (i.e., during their turn, by expending their own movement points). The First Strike ability does not apply when units with it are defending themselves against another player’s melee attack. However, when the elven lords attack the basilisk (as they would next, if our example continued), both the Stoning Gaze and First Strike attacks are conducted simultaneously. Thus, any elven lords that are stoned can still get in a “parting shot” against the basilisk.